Left home about 4.30pm. Dad picked us up and dropped us off at the airport. Kids were super excited. They wore their backpacks and rolled the big suitcases into the airport. Check-in was quick and our bags were tagged straight through to Amsterdam via Adelaide and Dubai.
Qantas flight to Adelaide was slightly delayed but uneventful otherwise. I sat with Catherine. Phil and Nicholas sat in the row in front of us. Once at Adelaide airport, we walked to the international terminal. Got some snacks and kids changed into pjs.
Our Emirates flight to Dubai left on time at 9.50pm (10.20pm CBR time). Our 13-hour flight was comfortable. Generous food portions, cool kids' activity packs, lit up stars on the ceiling and a sky cam. We watched the plane line up to the runway and land in Dubai airport. Arrived early the next morning at 5.20am and it was already 29 degrees Celsius. Had to ride a bus that took us to our connecting terminal. Felt like a long ride but it was only about 25 minutes.
At the terminal, kids changed out of their pjs and we got some more food. It wasn't very long until we boarded our last plane. There was pre-boarding this time so we were one of the first passengers on our A380 Emirates flight to Amsterdam.
After flying another 7 hours, we finally arrived. Amsterdam was overcast and a cool 16 degrees Celsius. Took a taxi from the airport to our Cityden apartment and got in at 3.30pm (11.30 pm CBR time) - over 30 hours door to door. We were exhausted. Nicholas fell asleep shortly after arriving and setting up pull-out sofa bed. I stayed with him while Phil and Catherine walked to the local supermarket and bought some groceries for the next 3 days. Had takeaway pizza for dinner. We were all sound asleep by 8pm.
Notes
The Journey
• CBR - ADL: Qantas, 1.5 hours , Boeing 737
• ADL - DXB: Emirates, 13 hours, Boeing 777
• DXB - AMS: Emirates, 7 hours, Airbus A380
• 3 countries in 30 hours: Australia, UAE and Netherlands
The Movies and TV
• The Road Within
• Benny & Joon
• The All Nighter
• The Sweet Life
• Baywatch
• Better Call Saul
Wednesday, 27 September
Morning fog about 12 degrees Celsius but eventually warmed up in the late afternoon to 21 degrees with blue skies.
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| From Amsterdam |
We woke up about 3am but went back to sleep until 6am. Had a small breakfast and coffee from the apartment's Nespresso machine. We went out a few hours later and had another breakfast at a cafe called Small Talk. We shared pancakes, hot chocolate and fried eggs with ham and cheese - a satisfying meal in a warm cafe. Back out into the cold, we walked to Vondelpark.
The park reminded us of New York's Central Park. Autumn colours were out and we enjoyed the scenic walk to the playground. Phil left us by that time as he had a work meeting at VU University. It took some time to warm up to the playground but the kids eventually had fun and interacted with some local kids. Catherine needed to use the toilet afterwards. I had forgotten that it usually costs to use the public WC around Europe.
Back at the apartment for a rest before we went out again for a late lunch at Restaurant Stedelijk. Nicholas had a mini hamburger and Catherine and I shared a Danish platter. We met up with Phil again at Museum Square after lunch. Since it was a nice afternoon, we decided to go on a canal boat tour which we caught near the Rijksmuseum. The tour went for 75 minutes which was just right to keep the kids' and our attention. Loved the architecture in Amsterdam.
Went to Martinot for dinner. Kids were cranky and tired. We had delicious food but we ordered too much - Italian bowl (antipasti) with focaccia bread, red pepper soup, pollo penne and parma fries. The kids had some salami, fries and bread. Phil and I didn't even come close to finishing the rest.
Notes
The Sights and Transport
• Vondelpark
• Museum Square
• Rijksmuseum surrounds
• Canal boat tour
• 2 trams to and from VU University
• 1 Small tour boat on the canals
Thursday, 28 September
Some showers in the morning and it was a much cooler day than yesterday.
Walked to the big open air market not too far from us. Fresh juice for the kids and tasty cheese for the grown-ups. We also bought a stroopwafel cooked fresh. It was yummy. Bought souvenirs before showers arrived. We walked the entire length of the market – 200+ stalls.
Took a tram to the city centre and joined the masses of tourists. Energy levels were getting low so we ducked into McDonald’s for a quick snack for the kids. Took in the atmosphere at Dam Square and watched bubbles and horse carriages go by. Briefly went into the church at the square before walked over to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (Nicholas’ request). The museum was better than I thought it would be. Nicholas enjoyed it a lot and Catherine was happy there too. Also included in the admission was a 5D ride which wasn’t too scary for them. Back to the apartment in the afternoon via the gem shop on our corner which the kids had been wanting to check out.
The rest of the family chilled for the afternoon while I went to the Van Gogh museum alone. It was really special to do this for my quiet time. It was amazing to see his lovely works of art up close.
Bought sushi and dumplings at the supermarket for dinner for the kids. Phil and I had leftover pizza. Went downstairs afterwards for the kids to have a play in the smallest playground we’ve ever seen before more rain arrived.
Notes
The Sights and Transport
• Albert Cuypmarkt
• Dam Square
• Nieuwe Kerk
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
• Van Gogh Museum
• 2 trams to and from Dam Square
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